Prior art of which the inventor is aware includes a number of rotor type bottle washing machines, some of which have been assigned to the assignee of the invention disclosed herein, and a number of rotor type machines used for holding and carrying other types of products around a circular path to different locations where a variety of operations are performed on or in connection with such products. Such prior art of which the inventor in this case is aware include the following, none of which include the feature of being able to easily and quickly adjust the separation distance between respective spokes to receive and hold therebetween bottles or other objects of differing diameters or differeing cross-sectional dimensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,086 in which Garret McBrady and Julian Avelis are joint inventors discloses a bottle filling machine that comprises a vertical rotary spoke assembly having valve and delivery components which deliver pressurized air and/or rinse water to the bottles while in the upside down position through the upper portion of the vertical path of rotation and deliver whatever liquids the bottles are to be filled with while they are in the right-side-up position throughout the lower portion of the vertical rotational path.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,810 in which William J. McBrady is the inventor discloses a bottle washer machine in which bottles are washed, emptied and dried as they are rotated in a vertically positioned circular path.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,123 in which William J. McBrady is the inventor discloses a bottle washing machine similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,810.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,164 in which Joseph K. McBrady is the inventor, discloses a container cleaning machine which is similar to those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,944,810 and 3,159,164.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,747 discloses a high speed rotary filling machine in which containers are rotated through a circular path during which they are filled from a filling head which rotates with the containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,634 discloses a device for filling individual receptacles with a metered quantity of a flowable material. The material is fed by gravity into containers below.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,908,124 discloses a machine for handling ampules and the like during the washing, drying, sterilizing, filling and sealing operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,218,315 discloses a machine for filling cylindrical oackages or cans with pulverulent material as they are carried around a curvilinear path.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,811,908 discloses a combined drainer and siruper for use in the canning industry and particularly for packing fruits and berries, which includes a totatable wheel having a plurality of turrets for holding the cans, and means to support the turrets in the plane of rotation during part of the revolution of the wheel and to move the turrets in a plane radial of the wheel and out of the plane of rotation during another part of the rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,202,171 discloses a fruit can draining machine comprising a rotary spoke assembly, vertically movable arms pivoted thereto, a cap to support a can in place on each arm, and a cam assembly to turn the cans below the horizontal to drain kiquids therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,094,380 discloses a process for use in sterilizing milk bottles as they are carried on a conveyor line.
U.S. Pat. No. 955,551 discloses a bottling machine having a plurality of carriers to receive bottles for washing, filling, closing and labeling while in the carriers, and an intermittent drive mechanism to move the carriers from station to station with intervals of non-movement for processing.
U.S. Pat. No. 837,559 discloses a fruit washing machine to wash fruit after being placed in cans, comprising a tiltable carrier in which cans are clamped and guide members which invert the cans during travel after which they are moved back to an upright position.
U.S. Pat. No. 722,263 discloses an apparatus for bottling liquids, including a carrier rotatable in a vertical plane having transverse rows of bottle holders, the carrier being rotated beneath bottle filling tubes, and a lifting mechanism to raise and lower the tubes for inserting into and withdrawing from the bottles.
U.S. Pat. No. 522,396 discloses a machine for mixing gases with liquids such as carbonating beverages, comprising a bottle supporting frame rotated with a hollow rotating shaft in which gas is flowed under pressure, and a check valve mechanism connected to charge the liquid filled bottles with gas.